The Shield (2002–2008)

The story of an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct where some of the cops aren't above breaking the rules or working against their associates to both keep the streets safe and their ... See full summary »

Creator:

Shawn Ryan

Stars:

Michael Chiklis, Catherine Dent, Walton Goggins

Won 2 Golden Globes. Another 12 wins & 41 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Michael Chiklis	...	Detective Vic Mackey (89 episodes, 2002-2008)
Catherine Dent	...	Officer Danni Sofer (89 episodes, 2002-2008)
Walton Goggins	...	Detective Shane Vendrell (89 episodes, 2002-2008)
Michael Jace	...	Officer Julien Lowe (89 episodes, 2002-2008)
Jay Karnes	...	Detective Holland Wagenbach (89 episodes, 2002-2008)
Benito Martinez	...	Captain David Aceveda (89 episodes, 2002-2008)
CCH Pounder	...	Detective Claudette Wyms (89 episodes, 2002-2008)
Cathy Cahlin Ryan	...	Corrine Mackey (83 episodes, 2002-2008)
David Rees Snell	...	Detective Ronnie Gardocki (82 episodes, 2002-2008)
Kenny Johnson	...	Detective Curtis Lemansky (66 episodes, 2002-2007)
David Marciano	...	Detective Steve Billings (42 episodes, 2005-2008)

Storyline

The story of an inner-city Los Angeles police precinct where some of the cops aren't above breaking the rules or working against their associates to both keep the streets safe and their self-interests intact.

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Plot Keywords:

police corruption | corrupt cop | los angeles california | racism | prison | 

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Taglines:

Conscience is a killer

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

five [uk] FX Network [us]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 March 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Rampart

Filming Locations:

ABC Television Center - 4151 Prospect Avenue, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$1,200,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fox Television Network, Sony Pictures Television, Barn Productions, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

FX originally balked at the hiring of Walton Goggins as a regular cast member. In order to convince the network executives to hire him, the episodes "Our Gang" and "The Spread" were specifically rewritten in order to showcase Walt's acting abilities in hopes of him being hired as a full-time cast member. These episodes convinced FX to give the go-ahead to hire him as a full-time cast member though because of the delays in finalizing his contract, the Shane character was written out of three episodes with the Vic Mackey character partnered up with fellow cast member Kenny Johnson ("Dawg Days" and "Throwaway") or assisting Detectives Wyms and Wagenbach on case ("Cherrypoppers").

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Quotes

Smitty: Why are you guys always coming to me with this shit?
Vic Mackey: Because you're the last honest guy we know.

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Connections

Referenced in Jeopardy!: Million Dollar Celebrity Invitational Quarterfinal 9 (2010)

User Reviews

Hands down, the best show on television...

If you read the first couple of pages of reviews for "The Shield," you'll think that it's a poorly-crafted ratings loser that shouldn't be on television.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

I'll admit, I was hesitant to start watching "The Shield," but that was only because of Michael Chiklis. I absolutely hated "The Commish" and I figured this show would be a total dog.

A co-worker challenged me to watch the pilot and, if I didn't like it, I could return the discs to him and he'd never hound me about it again. I took his challenge and watched the pilot---and I didn't stop until the season finale. Chiklis won me over. The writing won me over. The cinematography won me over.

Is the camera-work shaky? Sure. But it's *supposed* to be. It's shot almost documentary style and I think that adds to the grit of the show. Some people claim that "The Shield" failed Movie 101. Well, you know what? It's NOT a movie. It's an episodic television series and there are no other scripted dramas on television that compare.

Is it a ratings loser? Absolutely not. Folks, it's on cable. It's not going to be ranked in the Nielsen Top 10...ever! "The Shield" has helped FX firmly establish itself on Tuesday nights and was the first of a series of outstanding and cutting-edge dramas. "The Shield" is better described as a cable success story, proving that quality, original scripted television isn't the exclusive domain of the broadcast networks in the United States.

If you haven't ever watched "The Shield" and are considering it, I'll pose the same challenge my co-worker did. Watch one episode and only one episode: Pilot. If you don't like it, turn it off.

I'm willing to bet, however, that you'll wind up doing what I did.

"The Shield" is top-shelf. There's no doubt about it.